Planning beyond our own terms

Published: Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 2:43 p.m.

There's a lot to be learned from reading the Times-News. Just last Friday (Aug. 2), there was a front-page story about United Way of Henderson County.

The leadership of this community organization spent several years of study to examine ways to ensure its work in our community would be effective and its funds invested wisely.

Of course, this is only ink on the Times-News front page if you're not a regular donor to United Way. For those of you who are sitting on your checkbooks, let me explain.

United Way supports, with annual donations, many services in our community. In fact, through its member agencies, it's a large part of a public-private partnership with local government and local business providing a social safety net.

In life there are advantages to looking long term and there are advantages to looking short term. Nature is great for showing us examples. In the long-term category: there are animals that prepare for winter and live to the next spring to raise a new generation.

Or there are examples of the short-term view: bugs that hatch to live for three weeks, having sex and laying eggs. In that case, the next generation takes care of itself.

Is it better to look ahead and plan for the next generation, or to just have sex and die off, letting the next generation take care of itself?

United Way of Henderson County had just presented their assessment of county need and their proposal — Henderson County 2025. The leadership plans to focus on kindergarten readiness, school success, financial stability, affordable housing, healthy youth behaviors and curbing obesity. Ho hum, you worldly wise, free marketeers respond. Or maybe you laugh. Solve these problems by 2025? Ha!

United Way leadership has spent time interviewing community service providers and other community leaders as well as collecting and evaluating data from many sources. United Way has set goals for the next decade to improve conditions in our community in the focus areas.

They have been in the human service support business for decades, they state that their plan has its focus on children — long term — a next-generation commitment!

In the Sunday, Aug. 4 paper, Mike Tower's column "Corporate Thinking is Short Term." Mike points out that to serve investors, corporations have developed short-term games to increase stock value.

Mr. Tower says, "Such short-term thinking by corporate leaders has led to the elimination of millions of American jobs, and even entire industries, over the past few decades." He goes on to say, "Our federally elected officials are supposed to protect our citizens ... but they have all been too busy trying to remain in power by doing the bidding of special interest...'

No one here is thinking about the next generation. What kind of data do you think these guys are studying? And what problems are they trying to solve?

Has the free market been replaced by the closed market, with big players taking the cash and running in place, not running to secure the future? Is this the example of short-term choices — buggy sex and death.

In the world where public-private partnerships are viewed favorably, it seems two sides of that triangle, government and private corporations, are doing the short-term dash. While the third side of the partnership, nonprofits dealing in social issues, are the only people looking long-term.

How can the United Way and similar organizations see needs and propose solutions as we look toward 2025, but not anyone else?

<p>There's a lot to be learned from reading the Times-News. Just last Friday (Aug. 2), there was a front-page story about United Way of Henderson County.</p><p>The leadership of this community organization spent several years of study to examine ways to ensure its work in our community would be effective and its funds invested wisely. </p><p>Of course, this is only ink on the Times-News front page if you're not a regular donor to United Way. For those of you who are sitting on your checkbooks, let me explain. </p><p>United Way supports, with annual donations, many services in our community. In fact, through its member agencies, it's a large part of a public-private partnership with local government and local business providing a social safety net. </p><p>In life there are advantages to looking long term and there are advantages to looking short term. Nature is great for showing us examples. In the long-term category: there are animals that prepare for winter and live to the next spring to raise a new generation. </p><p>Or there are examples of the short-term view: bugs that hatch to live for three weeks, having sex and laying eggs. In that case, the next generation takes care of itself.</p><p>Is it better to look ahead and plan for the next generation, or to just have sex and die off, letting the next generation take care of itself? </p><p>United Way of Henderson County had just presented their assessment of county need and their proposal — Henderson County 2025. The leadership plans to focus on kindergarten readiness, school success, financial stability, affordable housing, healthy youth behaviors and curbing obesity. Ho hum, you worldly wise, free marketeers respond. Or maybe you laugh. Solve these problems by 2025? Ha!</p><p>United Way leadership has spent time interviewing community service providers and other community leaders as well as collecting and evaluating data from many sources. United Way has set goals for the next decade to improve conditions in our community in the focus areas. </p><p>They have been in the human service support business for decades, they state that their plan has its focus on children — long term — a next-generation commitment!</p><p>In the Sunday, Aug. 4 paper, Mike Tower's column "Corporate Thinking is Short Term." Mike points out that to serve investors, corporations have developed short-term games to increase stock value. </p><p>Mr. Tower says, "Such short-term thinking by corporate leaders has led to the elimination of millions of American jobs, and even entire industries, over the past few decades." He goes on to say, "Our federally elected officials are supposed to protect our citizens ... but they have all been too busy trying to remain in power by doing the bidding of special interest...' </p><p>No one here is thinking about the next generation. What kind of data do you think these guys are studying? And what problems are they trying to solve?</p><p>Has the free market been replaced by the closed market, with big players taking the cash and running in place, not running to secure the future? Is this the example of short-term choices — buggy sex and death.</p><p>In the world where public-private partnerships are viewed favorably, it seems two sides of that triangle, government and private corporations, are doing the short-term dash. While the third side of the partnership, nonprofits dealing in social issues, are the only people looking long-term. </p><p>How can the United Way and similar organizations see needs and propose solutions as we look toward 2025, but not anyone else?</p>